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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Calder Barn Notes - 11/21/2012

NOMINATIONS RELEASED FOR FINAL STAKES OF 2012 MEET

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (November 21, 2012) – Nominations for a pair of closing day graded turf stakes at Calder Casino & Race Course have been released with 23 horses listed as potential starters for the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap and 16 fillies and mares made eligible for a possible appearance in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante.

Leading the list of nominees for the Tropical Turf is Robert Harvey and Alan Wortzman’s Grade 1-placed Hollinger, who finished third in the 2011 running of the nine-furlong turf test. The 5-year-old son of Black Minnaloushe is trained by Roger Attfield, who won the Tropical Turf in 2008 with Spice Route.

Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc.’s James Street was nominated to the Tropical Turf by conditioner Josie Carroll. A two-time graded stakes winner on Polytrack at Woodbine, the son of El Prado exits a triumphant run in that track’s Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Nov. 10.

Trainer Dave Fawkes has nominated Larry Fugate’s Cash Rules to the Tropical Turf. A five-time stakes winner at Calder this year, including victories in the Grade 3 Spend A Buck and the $150,000 Carl G. Rose Classic, the son of Peace Rules has been on grass just once in his career, finishing third in a Gulfstream Park turf allowance in April.

Graham Motion, who won the Tropical Turf in 2006 and 2007 with Ballast, nominated Mrs. S. K. Johnston, Jr.’s Hoofit to the 2012 running, while Ian Black has the multiple stakes winning millionaire Stormy Lord nominated to the race.

Cheyenne Stables, LLC’s Mystical Star, who was nominated to and bypassed the My Charmer Handicap, tops the list of horses nominated to the 12-furlong La Prevoyante. Trained by Christophe Clement, who is a four-time winner of the La Prevoyante having captured the 1992, 1993, 1998, and 1999 editions, the daughter of Ghostzapper won the Grade 2 New York Handicap and was recently third in the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap.

Clement has also nominated James Wigan’s Group 3 winner Havant and Moyglare Stud Farm, Ltd.’s Group 3 winner Sense of Purpose to the race.

Trainer Shug McGaughey, who won the 2011 running of the La Prevoyante, has nominated Phipps Stable’s Abaco, a winner of three straight, to this year’s renewal, while 2009 race-winner Tom Albertrani has recent Belmont Park allowance winner Centring nominated to the race.

Both the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap and the Grade 3 La Prevoyante Handicap will be run Friday, Nov. 30, as part of the closing day program at Calder.

SPECIAL 11 A.M. POST TIME THURSDAY

Calder will offer a nine-race Thanksgiving Day program on Thursday with a special holiday first race post time of 11 a.m.

The feature race of the afternoon is the Grade 3 My Charmer, restricted to fillies and mares and run at the distance of 1 1/8 miles over the local grass course. The 5-2 morning-line favorite for the race is Edward A. Cox, Jr.’s Naples Bay, winner of the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes in September.

The My Charmer will go as the eighth race of the day with an approximate post time of 2:32 p.m.